The BJP on Tuesday sharpened its attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the excise policy case, claiming that such a "massive scam" could not have taken place with his clear approval.
"Jai karni waisi bharni (you reap what you sow)," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told a press conference, a day after the Enforcement Directorate summoned Kejriwal on November 2 for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
Dismissing the AAP's allegations that the Central government was trying to finish it off, he said it was the Kejriwal-led party which was finishing itself off with its "misdeeds, corruption and scams".
Prasad claimed the BJP has nothing to do with central probe agencies' action against the AAP and that the legal process was following its own course in the matter. "What agencies do is none of our concern. It is for them to decide."
He rhetorically asked did the BJP tell them to frame such an excise policy that "gives them commission and monopoly to select firms".
"Such a massive scam could not have taken place without Kejriwal's clear approval," the former Union minister claimed.
He reiterated the charges that the AAP allowed a "southern lobby" to dictate its excise policy so that the party could use the money for election purposes in Goa to fulfil its aspiration of becoming a national party.
What the lobby dictated was accepted by the Delhi government as its excise policy and the one earlier formed by a group of ministers was sought to be changed, he alleged.
Prasad claimed that the AAP has been the "biggest letdown" in India's political history, noting that its rise was marked by a lot of hope as many non-political people also got associated with it along with the "baba", a reference to Anna Hazare.
They all withdrew, he said, and asked why the likes of Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Shazia Ilmi and Kiran Bedi, the last two of them now with the BJP, left the party after being closely associated with its rise.
The AAP has given people a big betrayal as they turned out to be entirely different from what they promised, he claimed.
Delhi's former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh have been arrested by the ED in the excise policy case so far. This is the first time that Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED. He was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case in April.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
)